Root ripping attachment for bulldozers



Jan. 27, 1953 c. A..DOBRINICH, JR

ROOT RIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR BULLDOZERS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June 13, 1950 INVENTOR. 34 4-3 Z6 1 CHARLES A.DOBRINICH JR- BY 1 7 97zWmza/2zvflmn AT 1'02" EYS Jan. 27, 1953 c. A. DOBRINICH, JR 2,626,468

ROOT RIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR BULLDOZERS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed June 15, 1950 $mmm mum 111mm mun h Hill] \lll'l llilh 55 38 (W1. I H 1 M 35 47 4s 49 i j 53 zz 22 29 Q ze INVENTOR.

& k & W Cumuzs A. Doammcn JR I TY Ar-roanavs Patented Jan. 27, 1953 Rojor RIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR BULLDOZERS' Charles A. Dobrinich, J13, Sta-untol Ill. Application June I3, 1950, Serial No. 167,853

Q a ma This invention relates to bulldozer attachmerits, and more particularly to a device for severing underground roots. of trees or stumps in land clearing operations.

A main object of the invention is, to. providea novel and. improved root cutting; attachment for a bulldozer blade, said'att'achment being simple in construction, involving only a-few parts, and being easy to install on the bulldozer blade.

A further object of the inventionis-top-rovide an improved root cutting attachment adapted to be mounted on the top edge of" a bulldozer blade, said attachment being readily movable from an operative positionto an inoperative position out of the way of the bulldozer blade, the device being controllable either by power or-by hand; alldwing the bulldozer to be employed for its normal uses.

when the device is in its inoperative positionand providing 'a great saving in the amount of time required in removing tree stumps, tree's, and the like in land clearing operations.

Further ob ject's and'advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side-levationalview ofabulldozer whose blade is prov'idedwith an improved root cutting attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 Ba top plan view oi -the bulldozer of Figure 1 showing the improved root cutting attachment of the present invention,

Figure 3 is an enlarged side-elevatio'nal detail view of the root cutting attachment of the present invention, the arm of V the attachment being shown in horizontal position,

Figure-4 is anfenlarged'top"plan-detail view of the root cutting attachment, as employed in Figm t 1 nda Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on linei -doffl igure l, v

Figure '6 is an enlarged crossfsectional detail view taken on line 6-3 of Figure 3,:and

Figure '7 is a cross sectionaldetailview taken on line 5- ct -Figured.

Referringto the drawings, H generally designates a 'conventional bulldoaerprovided-with the usual bulldozer}moldboardfshowniatl2. I

The bulldozer H comprises the-usual; tractor l3, and the upstanding transversely disposed moldboard i2 is connectedto the rear portion of the tractor l3 by longitudinal 'beams, shown at l4, It, said beams being pivoted at one end as at l5, [5 to the tractor frame and having the lower end of the moldboard fixedly'secured' to the other ends of the beams, whereby'the moldboard 12 may be elevated. Elevation of the moldb'oard i2 is accomplished by the usualcables I6, I6 which are connected to the beam -"members M, I 4 and which extend over pulleys notshown, to theusual,

winch provided at the rear portionof the tractor, saidwinch being shown generally-at ll.

,2 Secured on the upper-end of the moldboard. t2- acljacent one sid'ethereo fare the spaced upstand ing bearing brackets l8, l8. Designated at lfl, 1 3

are another pair of upstanding bearing brackets secured on the upperend 0fthe;moldbo'ard l'2= a short distance inwardly-of the brackets-l8, 13.. Extending through -the re'spective pairs of bearing bracket-s l8, l'8andl3, l ilare the respective shaft elements 126, 21-, said shaft elements being in.

alignment and 'beingsp'aced a short distance above the top edge of themoldboard. The shaft elements are provided with headed ends, shown respectively at 22 and '23, the opposite ends ofthe: shaft elements being provided w-ith the securing pins, shown at 2-4 an'df25, which locktheshaft elements in the respectivepairs' ofbeari-n-g brackets.

Rotata-bly mounted on the sear-telements 2sand 2! are the respective bracket members'26, 2-1, said bracket members'compri-sing sleeve portions 28 and 23 rotatably mounted on the shaft mem hers 2D and 2|, as shown in Figure '5. Secured to the sleeve member 28 are the parallel web :elements 33, '33, and secured to the sleeve member 29 are the parallel web elements 3|, 3 I Secured to the edges of the web elements 33-; 33am the flanges 32, 33, providing 'a; substantially boxshaped cross section for thebra'cket member 26;.

Designated at 34 isjanelongated arm which extends through the flanges 323116. 33 and is secured thereto, said "arm being received between the webs 30, '30 and being preferably welded to said webs-as well as to the flanges 32,

33. As shown in Figure 3,"the connection of the arm 34 to the bracket member '26 is located a short distance from theshaft member 23, the arm 34 being perpendicular to, the axis of said shaft member. Weldedt'o the sides of the elongated arm 34 are the respective 'stifieningbars 35, 35', and secured to the elongated arm34 in the plane of rotation thereof is an elongated blade member 36,, extending substantially for the full length of, thearm 3,4, an1d terminating at its forward end in a bevel 31. The end of the arm 34 is also bevelled,as shown .at 38 Secured to the stifiening bar' 35 at-its intermediate portion is a plate member 39, and connecting saidplate member 39 to the bracket memberZ'l'is a diagonal bar member 40.

Designated at 4| is a tie barmember connecting the bracketmembers 2'6, andfZl and extending parallel to the topsedge ofthe moldboard l2. The bar; member 41 is in the same planeas the arm"3 4=.' and the bar 40, and con-- necting the'l'iar member 4| tovsai'd arm 34 and bar 40 is a, plate, member .42. plate member '42 isgan- .upstandinaposi; member 43, the. top end (i -s id l ostime'mber being braced by being connected, to; the .plate member 39 by .an inclined'brace bar '44. Pivotally connected to the top ,end of 'the..post member 43: is ,a

u-shaped p memberfl45. Connectedlto said;

Secured to. said loop member 45 is a cable 46 which extends rearwardly over suitable pulleys to one of the drums of the winch apparatus I! of the tractor, said one of the drums being controllable independently of the portion of the winch apparatus which is connected to the cables l6, I6.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the root cutting attachment may be supported in an inoperative position, shown in dotted View in Figure 1, wherein the arm 34 projects upwardly and rearwardly with the moldboard I2 in raised position. When the moldboard I 2 is lowered to working position, the arm 34 will remain in said upwardly projecting inoperative position, allowing the bulldozer moldboard to be employed for its normal purposes.

Assuming that it is desired to employ the root cutting attachment for severing roots or other underground obstructions, the arm 34 is rotated from its dotted line position shown in Figure 1, to its full line position shown in said figure by manually raising the cable 46, whereby the arm 43 will be rotated counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figure 1 to a position wherein the arm 34 will descend by gravity to its full line osition shown in Figure l. The moldboard i2 is then lowered to its dotted line position shown in Figure 1, whereby the free end of the arm 34 and the end of the blade 36 penetrate into the ground by the weight placed thereon. When the bulldozer is driven forwardly, the arm 34 bears against the front surface of the moldboard [2, whereby said arm is held in a downwardly directed position, and whereby underground roots or other obstructions in the path of the arm and blade 36 are severed.

When it is desired to raise the root cutting attachment to an inoperative position, the tractor is backed up, bringing the arm 34 up out of the ground, whereby the point thereof drags on the ground, and then the arm 34 is rotated clockwise by operating the associated winch drum of the winch apparatus ll whereby tension is provided in the cable 46. When the arm 34 has been raised to a substantially vertical position, the winch I1 is deenergized, allowing the arm to continue its rotation clockwise to the dotted line position of Figure 1 by momentum.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the arm 38 may be stiffened by securing longitudinal bar members 41, 48, and 49 to the arm 38 in the manner shown in Figures 3 and 6 to define a double channel cross section with respect to the stiffening bars 35,

While a specific embodiment of an improved root cutting attachment for use on a bulldozer has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a bulldozer moldboard, a longitudinal beam secured to said moldboard, a first pair of spaced bearing brackets secured to the upper end of the moldboard adjacent one side thereof, a second pair of spaced bearing brackets secured to said upper end, respective support members hinged to said pairs of bearing brackets for rotation around a common axis above and parallel to said upper end, frame means rigidly connecting said support members, an elongated arm secured to the support members associated with the first pair of bearing brackets, said arm extending in a plane transverse to said upper end and being substantially longer than the height of the moldboard, said arm being offset from said axis and being arranged for engagement with the front surface of the moldboard, a cutting blade carried by said arm in the plane of rotation thereof and located on the side of said arm opposite said axis, and a bracket member secured to said frame means and arranged to extend forwardly and upwardly from the moldboard when the arm is in engagement with the moldboard front surface, said bracket member being in the same longitudinal plane as said longitudinalbeam.

2. The combination with a tractor including a frame, a pair of beams arranged longitudinally of said frame and having one end connected to said frame for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, and an upstanding moldboard arranged transversely of said beams adjacent the other ends of the latter and having the lower end fixedly secured to the other ends of said beams, of a root cutting attachment operatively connected to the upper end of said moldboard adjacent one side of the latter, said attachment comprising a support means rotatable in counterclockwise and clockwise directions positioned in longitudinal spaced relation with respect to and carried by the upper end of said moldboard adjacent one side of the latter, an arm arranged transversely of said support means and having one end connected to the latter means for rotation therewith, a cutting element arranged longitudinally of and projecting from said arm, and means operatively connected to said support means for effecting the rotational movement of the latter.

3. The combination with a tractor including a frame, a pair of beams arranged longitudinally of said frame and having one end connected to said frame for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, and an upstanding moldboard arranged transversely of said beams adjacent the other ends of the latter and having the lower end fixedly secured to the other ends of said beams, of a root cutting attachment operatively connected to the upper end of said moldboard adjacent one side of the latter, said attachment comprising a plurality of upstanding brackets arranged in longitudinal spaced relation along the upper end of said moldboard adjacent one side of the latter and carried by the upper end of said moldboard, a support means rotatable in counterclockwise and clockwise directions positioned longitudinally of the upper end of said moldboard and carried by said brackets, an arm arranged transversely of said support means and having one end connected to the latter means for rotation therewith, a cutting element arrange longitudinally of and projecting from said arm, and means operatively connected to said support means for effecting the rotational movements of the latter.

CHARLES A. DOBRJNICH, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,262,415 Williams et a1. Nov. 11, 1941 2,281,928 Fletcher May 5, 1942 

